“Avocados are ‘the blood diamonds’ of Mexico” - J.P. McMahon.

TheFortField

Irish cafés should consider not using avocados or at least reducing the amount they use for their menus because of their impact on the environment, according to Michelin star chef JP McMahon.

Avocados are a popular health food in Ireland, which the Irish Heart Foundation says can help lower the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood and reduce your chances of heart disease and stroke.

But McMahon, who owns two Michelin star restaurants, Aniar and Tartare, says avocados are "the blood diamonds of Mexico".

Drug cartels are increasingly controlling the avocado trade, and in some areas, farmers are thinning out mature pine forest to plant young avocado trees, which require huge volumes of water to grow.

"I don't use them because of the impact they have on the countries that they are coming from - deforestation in Chile, violence in Mexico. For me, they are akin to battery chickens. I think Irish restaurants should make a conscious effort to not use avocados or at least reduce the amount they use. You can get Fair Trade avocados but most are not produced this way.”

https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/restaurants-should-stop-serving-avocado-irish-michelin-star-chef-says-theyre-akin-to-battery-chickens-37592513.html

I have become very conscious of food miles since switching to a plant based diet. It’s for this reason I buy most of my vegetables from two local organic farmers and a greengrocer who sources vegetables from neighbouring counties.

However, fruit is a trickier purchase - bananas, kiwi, pomegranate, melons, citrus fruits, pineapple, grapes, avocados etc are all imported and most of the time we have no control over where they’re sourced.

I love mashed avocado and pomegranate seeds on thick slices of toasted homemade multi-seed brown bread, it’s one of my favourite comfort foods. I’m feeling a bit guilty about it now since reading J.P’s article and I’m wondering how others feel.

Has J.P. lost the run of himself or should we give serious consideration to ditching the avocado from our diet?

Slaphead07

apart from JP McMahon I had decided recently not to buy avocados again. I do like them and the excitement of using at just the right moment will be something I miss but if you're concerned for the environment then it's bye bye.

ganmo

if you want to actively support the environment by your food choices buy brazil nuts, they can only be produced in virgin rain-forest.

davidjtaylor

Although I only buy avocados rarely, I spoke to Meanwell Wholefoods in Ennis about the issue. They were unaware of the article but now they are, I gave them a link.

Fortunately, avocados (organic, naturally) can be sourced from Spain. Meanwell have both the black-skinned from Mexico and two varieties (green-skinned) from Spain. It's hard to know what to do about those organic Mexican ones, if what the articles states is true.

So, those who like their avocados, lobby your retailer to obtain the organic Spanish ones (or even non-organic if that floats it for you).

I attach images of a basket with Spanish (green) and a Mexican (black) varieties and a basket with a different Spanish (green) variety, just because I can.

davidjtaylor

Whether this McMahon guy is off his head, misinformed, seeking publicity or speaking the truth, TBH if it gets people questioning where their food is from, how it's produced, you know, like, giving a tiny shít, then that must be a good thing. Especially if a handful of people end up supporting more local agriculture (EU vs Americas f'r instance).

Seeing supermarket trollies piled high with white bread in plastic bags and plain water in plastic bottles doesn't really give one much hope though.

L1011

The Michelin starred, multiple restaurant owning, Irish Times columnist McMahon doesn't need to seek publicity. He also isn't anti-veg*n in any way, I suspect he'd be more concerned with people shoving avocado everywhere from beef burgers to eggs benedict rather than it being a more core part of a veg*n diet.

If environmental ethics are a reason for dietary choices - dairy and beef emissions being one that is mentioned commonly enough, and is clearly a major issue - there are certain fruits and vegetables that aren't great either. Many are non-obvious as they're grown locally, e.g. salad greens consume huge amounts of processed drinking water which isn't always in good supply. Some involve physical environment destruction, e.g. avocados; some involve social problems like Bolivians no longer being able to afford their staple quinoa.

Food miles as mentioned by some of the restaurateurs in the linked article are one thing but sometimes it's actually less damaging to fly in food, fruit particularly, from somewhere where it's in season rather than force it with electric light and gas heating somewhere it isn't. Particularly if its belly cargo on an aircraft that's flying there anyway, e.g. Aer Lingus flights from the Canaries are going to happen anyway and the fuel consumption delta from a ULD of fruit in the belly isn't all that much.

davidjtaylor

A reminder: Hodmedod’s stock UK-grown quinoa, available online.

vicwatson

Isn’t it just a fad anyway. Something else popular in 2019

gozunda

L1011 wrote: »

The Michelin starred, multiple restaurant owning, Irish Times columnist McMahon doesn't need to seek publicity. He also isn't anti-veg*n in any way, I suspect he'd be more concerned with people shoving avocado everywhere from beef burgers to eggs benedict rather than it being a more core part of a veg*n diet.

If environmental ethics are a reason for dietary choices - dairy and beef emissions being one that is mentioned commonly enough, and is clearly a major issue - there are certain fruits and vegetables that aren't great either. Many are non-obvious as they're grown locally, e.g. salad greens consume huge amounts of processed drinking water which isn't always in good supply. Some involve physical environment destruction, e.g. avocados; some involve social problems like Bolivians no longer being able to afford their staple quinoa.

Food miles as mentioned by some of the restaurateurs in the linked article are one thing but sometimes it's actually less damaging to fly in food, fruit particularly, from somewhere where it's in season rather than force it with electric light and gas heating somewhere it isn't. Particularly if its belly cargo on an aircraft that's flying there anyway, e.g. Aer Lingus flights from the Canaries are going to happen anyway and the fuel consumption delta from a ULD of fruit in the belly isn't all that much.

Would agree with much of what you've said there. However with regard to air freight and cargo such as imports of large volumes of perishable foodstuffs eg green beans from Kenya and Avocados from Bolivia - are normally transported via commercial freight services and not passenger based flights and / shipping as in the case of foodstuffs with a longer lifespan such as garlic etc. Airplane freight is transported on a cost and weight basis. Importing foodstuffs from S.America for example may involve a greater use of fuel as flight paths can often be less direct than that of passenger based services. In addition the growing of many exotic fruits etc even with electric light and gas heating is much too expensive ever to be a realistic undertaking here.

Imo it's a case of deciding whether the importation of such foodstuffs is a luxury which can be justified knowing that the fuel used in transporting them here outweighs any calorific value or other benefit obtained especially considering that many of these crops are often grown in areas with few if any environmental or ethical standards.

TheRealPONeill

do they grow these avacodoes in Ireland ?

davidjtaylor

vicwatson wrote: »

Isn’t it just a fad anyway. Something else popular in 2019

No doubt. But the OH has been a fan of guacamole for as long as I’ve known her. Not my favourite food but.

henryporter

The other recently highlighted issue of Bee exploitation for Avocado and Almond production should be cause for concern (among vegans), so if you don't eat honey then avocados are also off the menu - that was the prime motivator for stopping eating them, along with the air miles

davidjtaylor

henryporter wrote: »

The other recently highlighted issue of Bee exploitation for Avocado and Almond production should be cause for concern (among vegans), so if you don't eat honey then avocados are also off the menu - that was the prime motivator for stopping eating them, along with the air miles

Yes, the almond issue was discussed in another thread. The answer again is relatively local almonds.

davidjtaylor wrote: »

I'm pleased to say that our local retailer, Meanwell Wholefoods in Ennis, have always sold only almonds from Valencia. They are aware of the issues with USA almonds.

Ask your usual supplier to source EU food over that of Chinese or Americas origin.

Mooooo

TheRealPONeill wrote: »

do they grow these avacodoes in Ireland ?

No, climate not suitable

duridian

ganmo wrote: »

if you want to actively support the environment by your food choices buy brazil nuts, they can only be produced in virgin rain-forest.

That actually suits me nicely, as I love brazil nuts and I think avocados are very meh and rarely use them.

Lia_lia

vicwatson wrote: »

Isn’t it just a fad anyway. Something else popular in 2019

I was given them as a baby! Are they really a fad?